Metabolic Syndrome is an increasingly common disease that is characterized by a group of metabolic risk factors that include: excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen; blood fat disorders (e.g., high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol) that foster plaque accumulation in artery walls; raised blood pressure (typically 130/85 mm Hg, or higher); insulin resistance or glucose intolerance; an increased tendency to form blood clots (e.g., due to high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in the blood); and elevated levels of proinflammatory proteins (e.g., elevated level of C-reactive protein in the blood).
The development of this syndrome is promoted by obesity, physical inactivity and genetic factors. People with Metabolic Syndrome are at increased risk of coronary heart disease, other diseases related to plaque accumulation in artery walls (e.g., stroke and peripheral vascular disease) and Type II diabetes.
The genetic factors that contribute to Metabolic Syndrome are not yet understood. Consequently, there is a need to identify genes that contribute to the development of Metabolic Syndrome. There is also a need for methods that permit the identification of chemical agents that modulate the activity of these genes, or the products encoded by these genes. Such chemical agents may be useful, for example, as drugs to prevent Metabolic Syndrome, or to ameliorate one or more symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome.